Daine's Daughter
by kicks99
Summary: Daine's daughter has gone missing. Read & Review please! Thanks! COMPLETED!
1. Prologue: Missing

Disclaimer: You all know what this is going to say but I'll say it anyway. The characters you recognize belong to Tamora Pierce (Kaddar, Daine, Numair etc.), the ones you don't recognize are mine.  
  
Prologue: Missing  
  
"Numair! Numair! Numair!" Veralidaine Sarrasri burst into the classroom where Numair Salmalin, her husband, was teaching some of the pages about magic. All the of the pages - eight boys and three girls - looked up in surprise. Numair looked at her with an amused look.  
  
"Yes, Daine?" he asked calmly.  
  
"She's gone, Numair! She's gone!" Daine yelled.  
  
"Who?" Numair asked just as calmly as before.  
  
"Numair, our child is gone! Rehani is missing!" Daine answered frantically as tears welled up in her eyes.  
  
"Rehani's gone? Have you checked everywhere?" Numair demanded. The pages had started talking quietly amongst themselves.  
  
"The animals within my radius have checked everywhere for her. She's gone." Daine had started to sob.  
  
"Boys - and girls - stay here. I trust that you will be responsible and respectful as you wait for me to return. No fighting or screaming until I get back, understand?" Numair commanded. The pages nodded and Numair and Daine raced from the room to King Jonathon's study. Numair pounded on the door. Jonathon answered almost immediately.  
  
"What is it Numair?" Jonathon asked, the surprise on his face obvious.  
  
"It's Rehani. Our daughter - our six-year-old daughter - is missing. I've checked everywhere within my seventy five mile radius." Daine explained. There was a gasp from behind Jon. Queen Thayet, Sir Gareth the Younger, Sir Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, and Alianne of Pirate's Swoop stood up and hurried over to the doorway. They must have been having a meeting about Alianne - Aly - and her spy information from the Copper Isles.  
  
"Oh, Daine, are you sure?" Thayet asked in horror. Daine nodded, blinking back tears.  
  
"Numair, you should get back to the pages you're supposed to be teaching. Daine, come in." Jon commanded. Numair went back to the pages and as soon as Daine answered, Jon closed the door. Everybody took seats around the table.  
  
"Will we be able to find her?" Daine demanded.  
  
"I don't know, Daine. We'll search. We'll warn the King's Own and the Rider groups about her disappearance. There's a good chance that we won't find her." Jon replied quietly. Daine burst into tears again. She ran from the room. Alanna and Thayet followed. Daine flung herself onto an armchair once in her quarters, leaving the door open. Alanna and Thayet came up and began to comfort her.  
  
"Daine, Jon is very pessimistic. I prefer to be optimistic. I believe we will find Rehani. I know we will find her." Thayet murmured, hugging her friend.  
  
"What if I never see her again?" Daine whispered through her tears.  
  
"You will, Daine. We'll find her. I personally will find her if nobody else does." Alanna soothed. 


	2. Chapter One: Delegates to Carthak

Chapter One: Delegates to Carthak  
Seven Years Later  
  
"Daine, sweetling, come. It's time to go to the meeting." Numair told his wife. Daine had stayed hidden in her cabin for the whole journey. She hadn't wanted to come. She had wanted to stay home and look for Rehani, even though it would be unsuccessful. She had been trying to find Rehani for the past seven years. She was close to insanity and full of grief. Ever since Rehani had gone missing she had cried almost all day and for half the night.  
  
"I know, Numair." Daine stood up and followed him out of her room into another of the cabins. Skysong, her dragon (also known as Kitten) followed them. When everybody going to Carthak - Sir Gareth the Younger of Naxen, Sir Nealan of Queenscove, Sir Keladry of Mindelan, Sir Alanna of Pirate's Swoop, and various clerks - all were crammed into the cabin, Numair, Alanna, and Neal (Nealan) put spells on the cabin to keep people from hearing them or seeing them.  
  
"Remember, we are here to discuss the marriages of Princess Kalasin and Princess Lianne and we need to ask for help when we start the war against Scanra. Watch your step, all of you. Go nowhere we are forbidden to go. Do not talk of freedom to slaves - don't talk to them at all unless necessary. Be careful. We are guests here." Sir Gareth, the head of the delegation, warned them. Everybody nodded.  
  
"I thought it was just Kalasin, not Lianne." Alanna mentioned.  
  
"It was just going to be a marriage negotiation with Kalasin and Kaddar. Emperor Kaddar mentioned that he might like to marry off his cousin to Lianne." Gareth replied. "Everybody, get ready to greet the Emperor of Carthak." They left the cabin and returned to their own rooms to change.  
  
Meanwhile, in the palace of Emperor Kaddar of Carthak, a thirteen-year-old slave girl, the personal messenger of Kaddar, waited in her room. She would be called to help in the kitchens later that evening, but until then she was free to do whatever she liked. She stretched out on her pallet and decided to take a short nap. The room had five other pallets and blankets in it - the room was shared by six slaves. Each slave had a crate by her bed to hold her clothes and belongings - if they had any. For her faithful service to Kaddar and Carthak, the girl had been given a dozen clear and sapphire blue beads on a black cord. It was her prized possession, and she guarded it with her life.  
  
"Get up, Rehani. The Emperor would like you on the barge to serve drinks. Change and run to the docks as fast as you can." One of the slaves, Junie, told the girl, sticking her head through the doorway.  
  
"Why? I'm a messenger, not a server?" Rehani inquired. "Nobody questions the emperor, my dear Rehani. Hurry up. The barge leaves in five minutes." Junie warned. With a yelp, Rihani quickly pulled on white leggings and a light blue shirt. She tied up her hair, put her necklace on, and ran as fast as she could to the barge. It was leaving. She took a running start and leapt from the dock onto the boat, clinging to the sides until she could haul herself aboard. She hurried to the Emperor.  
  
"Your Imperial Majesty, Junie told me I was needed." Rihani murmured, bowing deeply.  
  
"Yes, Rihani. I'd like you to get a tray of cold drinks and serve them to our guests when they get on the barge." Kaddar answered without looking at her. Rihani went below and gathered up the tray. Ten minutes later the Tortallans stepped onto the boat and lined up to greet Kaddar and the other diplomats. Starting at the end of the line, Rihani approached a woman with dark brown curls and gray eyes.  
  
"Nobility, would you like something to drink?" Rehani asked the woman. The woman looked at Rehani.  
  
"Yes, thank you," the woman took a glass. As Rehani turned to leave, the woman grabbed her shoulder. Rehani turned and looked at her questioningly.  
  
"Do you realize that you have magic?" the woman whispered.  
  
"I have no magic, nobility." Rehani bowed and hurried to one of the other delegates. She caught the woman staring at her several times during the trip down the river.  
  
Daine looked at the slave girl in surprise. She was veiled in a copper haze. The girl had wild magic.  
  
"Nobility, would you like something to drink?" the slave asked. She looked only about thirteen, but a small thirteen.  
  
"Yes, thank you," Daine took a glass. As the slave started to leave, Daine grabbed her shoulder and whirled the girl around. The slave looked at her questioningly before dropping her eyes to the ground.  
  
"Do you realize you have magic?" Daine breathed.  
  
"I have no magic, nobility." The slave replied nervously. She bowed to Daine and went over to a group of clerks. Daine chewed on her lip. Why did she say that she didn't have magic? Daine could see wild magic, she knew the girl had it. Daine wondered who it was. So far, only one person had as much wild magic as this slave girl. That person was Daine. This slave had more wild magic in her than Daine herself!  
  
"Numair." Daine nudged her husband, who had come to stand beside her.  
  
"Yes, magelet?" the tall black robe mage asked. To show of his black robe status, the highest status of a mage, he wore a billowing black silk robe over his brown breeches and white shirt.  
  
"That slave girl who's serving drinks has wild magic." Daine whispered to him, pointing to the girl.  
  
"She doesn't just have wild magic. She has Feeling Magic too. Feeling Magic is rare, and said to be extinct. The person who has it knows when people are doing magic, who that person is, and what kind of magic that person is doing." Numair whispered back, voicing his surprise.  
  
"What does it look like?" Daine asked as several clerks in front of them were introduced.  
  
"To those who can see magic, it's a fog. You can see the copper veil of wild magic under it, but the Feeling Magic is on top as a hazy, gray fog." Numair replied as they stepped up to be introduced.  
  
"Numair Salmalin, black robe mage." The herald proclaimed. Numair stepped ahead of Daine and bowed deeply. "Veralidaine Sarrasri and the dragon, Skysong." Daine bowed to Kaddar.  
  
"Daine, hello." Kaddar greeted Daine personally instead of the reply he had given everybody else: "I welcome you, a representative of my royal cousins Jonathon and Thayet to Carthak." Daine smiled warmly and turned to greet the Carthaki diplomats. She looked to her side for Kitten, but the dragon was gone. Kitten had raced up to the emperor and leapt into his lap.  
  
"Kitten." Daine called sharply.  
  
"It's all right, Daine." Kaddar told Daine, stroking Kitten's scales. As the next clerk was announced, Skysong bounded back over to Daine. In a low voice, Daine scolded the dragon, who whistled unhappily and turned a sulking gray.  
  
"That's okay, Kit. Never mind." Daine murmured, smiling at the dragon. Kitten turned a striking bright green and chirped cheerily. "Hush." Daine whispered. 


	3. Chapter Two: Magic?

Chapter Three: Magic?  
  
Rehani hurried away from the woman. She didn't have any magic! Somebody would have noticed if she had magic. What was that woman talking about? Something else was bothering Rehani. That woman - she looked familiar. Who was she?  
  
"Would you like a drink, Nobility?" Rehani asked a short, stout red haired woman.  
  
"Yes, thank you." The woman smiled. Rehani knew who she was. This was Sir Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, also known as the Lioness. Rehani hurried from person to person until the barge finally docked. Then she headed back into the palace.  
  
"Oh, Rehani? I won't need you today. I'll send for you if I do. But I'd like you to serve at the banquet tonight." Kaddar told Rehani as she approached him.  
  
"Yes, Nobility." Rehani whispered as she went back to her room. The other five slaves who lived there with her were sitting on their pallets, gossiping. "Hello!" Rehani said as she walked in. The slaves - Mary, Rose, Eve, Dria, and Bree - stopped talking as soon as they saw her. "What, is something wrong with me? Forget about me, then. Go back to your talking. Just pretend I'm not here." Rehani snapped, scowling as she lay down on her pallet. She planned on having a good nap before the banquet.  
  
"Rehani. Get up. It's time for the banquet." Dria hissed, shaking Rehani's shoulder. Rehani woke with a jerk.  
  
"So you're talking to me, then?" Rehani asked. As soon as they thought Rehani had fallen asleep, they had started talking again. And they had started talking about Rehani.  
  
"Not unless I have to. Let's go." Dria snapped, leaving the room. Rehani hurried to the kitchens where Padma was giving everybody their orders.  
  
"Oh, good, you're here, Rehani. You will serve Numair Salmalin and Veralidaine Sarrasri. They are sitting here." Padma called, tapping a part of the blackboard with her pointer. Rehani nodded and went to get a bowl of water for fingers and a towel for drying them off. With all the other slaves she went to the table. Numair Salmalin was tall with tousled black hair. Veralidaine Sarrasri was the woman who had said Rehani had magic.  
  
"Would you like to wash your hands, Nobility?" Rehani asked Numair. The man looked at her for a long time before he nodded. He quickly dipped in his hands and dried them off. Rehani couldn't help staring at him. He was familiar to her. She didn't know how, or why. They had always said she had lived in Carthak and once she had hit her head and gotten amnesia. If this was true, why did she recognize Tortallans?  
  
"Would you like to wash your hands, Nobility?" Rehani asked Veralidaine.  
  
"Yes, thank you." Veralidaine washed her hands rapidly and Rehani left.  
  
"That girl has magic! I know she does!" Numair whispered to Daine.  
  
"You spent to long staring at her, Numair! It was so obvious." Daine snapped.  
  
"I had to see how much." Numair answered calmly.  
  
"Sure, Numair, sure. I never thought I'd meet somebody with as much wild magic as that child. She looks about thirteen." Daine rolled her eyes at Numair.  
  
"I can't help thinking that I know her, Daine. I've seen her somewhere. Not just on the boat. But way before this." Numair admitted.  
  
"I know. But that doesn't give you an excuse to stare at her with your mouth open like a fish!" Daine told him, giggling. Numair silenced her with a glare.  
  
"Daine, she has your eyes." Numair murmured.  
  
"So? Plenty of people of gray eyes." Daine muttered.  
  
"They look exactly like yours, I know it!" Numair hissed.  
  
"So. It's not like she could be Rehani." Daine snapped. Tears had started to well up in her eyes when she said her daughter's name.  
  
"She's the right age."  
  
"Then what would she be doing here? She's not our daughter. Rehani is gone. I have to face facts that we're never going to find her." Daine replied in a low voice.  
  
"Good. Now you can go on with your life." Numair sat back in his seat, looking pleased with himself.  
  
"Excuse me, Nobility. Would you like some soup, Nobility?" the slave girl asked.  
  
"We'd both like soup, please. Rehani." Numair told her. Rehani's eyes popped out of her head. How did he know her name? Rehani served them and rushed off. How did they know who she was?  
  
"What's wrong with you today, Rehani? You usually have the steadiest hands. Those plates are about to fall off and smash." Padma told Rehani, grabbing the other side of the tray so the plates wouldn't slide off.  
  
"Nothing." Rehani muttered.  
  
"It's something." Padma insisted.  
  
"That Numair Salmalin knew my name. I didn't tell him. I don't know how he knows and he keeps staring at me." Rehani muttered as she collected the next course.  
  
"That's all you're worried about? Somebody could have told him your name. He probably stared at you because in Tortall they don't have slaves." Padma laughed as they waited to deliver the next course.  
  
"I knew you would think it was stupid." Rehani muttered as they went out to serve .  
  
"That was stupid, Numair! What were you doing?" Daine asked angrily. Numair shrugged.  
  
"I wanted to see her reaction." Numair told her coolly.  
  
"She could have been named Rehani! Tons of people in this world are named Rehani, Numair. You probably scared her to death!" Daine exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, right. I wanted to see her reaction." Numair insisted, sipping his soup.  
  
"You got it! She ran out of here like the devil was on her tail! Thanks to you, her tray almost tipped and the plates almost smashed on the floor. And she'd be punished, all because of you." Daine answered grumpily.  
  
"Come on, magelet. We can't give up hope."  
  
"Numair, you just said you were glad I finally got over it. What is up with you?" Daine demanded.  
  
"I know. As long as you keep hoping and sobbing, you can't live your life. Be happy Daine, smile. Have fun. But I still live my life, even though I was upset." Numair replied. The slaves came out with the next course.  
  
"Would you like chicken, Nobility?" Rehani asked quietly.  
  
"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry for scaring you." Numair answered as the plate was set in front of him.  
  
"You didn't scare me, Nobility." Rehani whispered as she hurried back to the kitchen, listening to them argue with themselves as she rushed away.  
  
"See, I didn't scare her." Numair told Daine triumphantly.  
  
"You did, Numair. I saw her. You didn't see her practically run away from us. She was terrified that you knew her name. Forget about the girl, Numair. Let's just enjoy the banquet." Daine ordered. Numair shrugged.  
  
"Rehani, hurry up. You're the last one to get the next course." Padma hissed. Rehani hastily grabbed the tray. The rest of the banquet went along with no mishap. Numair didn't stare at her or call her Rehani. Well, he didn't stare openly at her. She saw him staring at her out of the corner of his eye. 


	4. Chapter Three: Unexpected Surprise

Chapter Four: Unexpected Surprise  
  
"Rehani, His Imperial Majesty sent a message to you." Dria announced, shoving a note into Rehani's hands the next morning. Everybody knew Rehani could read. Slaves weren't supposed to read but everybody - including the emperor - knew that Rehani could ride. She opened the note.  
  
Rehani - I would like you to clean the rooms of Veralidaine Sarrasri and Numair Salmalin. I know you are my messenger, but I would appreciate that you do this for as long as the Tortallans are here. I trust nobody else to clean their rooms. But you still will take messages for me. I will call for you if I need you to deliver. The Tortallan delegates will also use you as a messenger. -His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Kaddar  
  
Emperor Kaddar was very kind to Rehani. She had never been punished - but she had never done anything wrong. He had given her the beautiful necklace. Rehani shrugged and headed to the rooms of the Tortallan delegates. Veralidaine's room was empty, so she decided to do that one first. Rehani hummed cheerily as she cleaned the room, making the bed and sweeping up. She stopped humming when somebody cleared his or her throat behind her.  
  
"Yes, Nobility?" Rehani asked, turning to see Veralidaine and Numair. Numair held out a folded piece of paper.  
  
"We were told you were the emperor's messenger. Please take it to him." Numair ordered.  
  
"Yes, of course, Nobility." Rehani hurried down the hall. She entered Kaddar's rooms and bowed deeply, handing him the note. Rehani watched his expression as he read the note. First he was surprised, then confused, as his eyebrows furrowed together.  
  
"Do you know of this, Rehani?" Kaddar asked, handing her the note. Rehani took it and read it, hands trembling as she read what it said.  
  
Kaddar - Your messenger has magic. Wild magic. A ton of wild magic, more the Daine. She also has Feeling Magic, which is almost extinct. She knows when magic is being done, who's doing it, why they're doing it, and what they're doing. Do you know of this? -Numair and Daine  
  
Rehani sighed. All the other slaves thought of her as insane because she was always saying random names and spells. But then she gasped. She had magic! What was this Wild Magic? What would the Emperor do with her?  
  
"No, Your Majesty. I did not know that I have magic." Rehani told him honestly. Kaddar frowned.  
  
"What am I going to do with you? If you have magic, I can't let you go untrained. Daine is the only living Wildmage, but she'll be going back to Tortall." Kaddar muttered to himself. Rehani didn't answer, knowing that he was talking to himself. "Rehani, you have served me honorably and well. I will give you a gift. You will be freed, but you will not stay here. You will go back to Tortall with Daine and Numair, to be trained in your magic."  
  
"Very well, Your Majesty." Rehani whispered. Leave the palace? She didn't even know what the mages were like! Would they starve her, beat her?  
  
"Give them this reply. But first let me take your slave collar. Get your things from your rooms before you take them the reply." Kaddar instructed. He used a special saw to undo Rehani's hated metal slave collar. Kaddar handed her a folded piece of parchment. Rehani knelt and bowed until her forehead was on the floor.  
  
"Thank you, your Imperial Majesty." Rehani breathed.  
  
"Get up and do it, Rehani." Kaddar ordered crossly. Rehani scrambled to her feet and raced to her rooms. She grabbed her crate and hurried back to the rooms of Veralidaine and Numair. She was free! She had never thought she would be free! Rehani dropped her crate outside the door and entered the room.  
  
"Kaddar has sent his reply." Rehani informed Numair, handing him the note. Numair grinned.  
  
"So you're free, eh? You can have a pallet in Daine's room. We'll both teach you, though. I'll teach you to control your Feeling magic and Daine will help you with your Wild magic." Numair smiled.  
  
"Thank you, Master Salmalin." Rehani murmured.  
  
"It's Numair. And she's Daine, not Veralidaine." Numair told her. Rehani nodded. Daine was surveying Rehani.  
  
"You'll need new clothes. I'll take you to the tailor or seamstress or whatever you call them here. Let's go." Daine told her, leading her down the hall. Several of the slaves stopped their work to stare at Rehani. Rehani just grinned at them.  
  
"A slave, Veralidaine Sarrasri?" the seamstress asked, her eyebrow furrowing together.  
  
"The girl is no longer a slave. She is my student, and she needs clothes." Daine replied coldly. "What's your name?" Daine added to Rehani.  
  
"Rehani." Rehani whispered. Daine's eyebrows shot up and her mouth almost dropped open. She regained her cool composure as the seamstress measured Rehani and piled leggings and shirts into her arms. Soon they were leaving.  
  
"Your name is Rehani? I had a daughter called Rehani." Daine asked.  
  
"Oh. Why did Numair call me Rehani at the banquet? I didn't tell him my name. Who did?" Rehani asked curiously.  
  
"Numair was just being a git. He can be one sometimes. He's scatter brained, doesn't remember anything. He's completely hopeless. I always wonder how he ever came to be a black robe." Daine giggled.  
  
"I was wondering, what is wild magic?" Rehani asked.  
  
"Have you ever heard voices when nobody but an animal was in the room?" Daine asked.  
  
"I've never really been in a room with an animal. The few times I went to the stables, it was crowded." Rehani replied. She wondered where this was going. Daine frowned a little.  
  
"It means you can talk to animals, they can talk back and you hear them talk back, you can heal them, go into their minds, and even shape shift." Daine replied as they went back to her room.  
  
"You mean I could change into a wolf?" Rehani asked excitedly.  
  
"I'm fond of wolves as well. I ran with a pack of them once. Yes, with training you can turn into a wolf." Daine smiled at her excitement. Daine and Numair were teaching Rehani how to meditate when a woman burst into the room. It was Varice Kingsford, in charge of all the royal banquets, balls, and entertainment.  
  
"Numair! What are you doing with a slave?" Varice asked in horror as she looked at the three before her.  
  
"Rehani is no longer a slave. She was freed so she could learn to control her wild magic and her Feeling magic." Numair replied calmly. Varice was suddenly very angry, glaring at Rehani. Why was she glaring at Rehani? Rehani had only spoken to her once.  
  
"Oh, I see. Never mind then, Numair. We're all waiting for you for the tour of the menagerie." Varice spat out. She hurried from the room. Daine and Numair looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
"What's going on with her?" Daine mumbled to Numair as the two stood to leave.  
  
"No idea. Come on Rehani, you can come too. Let's go." Numair replied, shrugging again. Rehani stayed sitting.  
  
"I'd rather not, thank you." Rehani whispered.  
  
"No, Rehani. Come along. We can't have you getting into all sorts of trouble if we leave you. Let's go." Numair ordered. Reluctantly, Rehani followed them out. Nobody seemed to glance at Rehani, who sulkily followed the group through the maze of paths to the menagerie. Then she saw it. It was amazing! Majestic lions, tall giraffes, spotted leopards! She loved it! She eagerly pressed her face against the bars, wanting to reach out to those proud lions. It was wonderful.  
  
"Enjoying yourself?" Numair asked in her ear. Rehani almost screamed. She jumped and whirled around.  
  
"Don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Sorry. Come on, the tour's over. We're heading back." Numair didn't sound a bit sorry as Rehani followed him back to their rooms. Numair and Daine sat down at the table where they were eating that night. Hesitantly, Rehani sat beside Daine, trying to look invisible.  
  
"Hey, Daine. Who's the youngster?" a man asked from across the table.  
  
"Everybody, this is Rehani. She has wild magic, so I'm going to teach her. Rehani these are Alanna, Keladry, Nealan.." Daine was interrupted by Nealan.  
  
"It's Neal! My least." the whole room joined him in his last sentence. "My least favorite aunt calls me Nealan." They chorused.  
  
"Sorry, Neal. Gary." Daine introduced everybody, who smiled or nodded to her.  
  
"You don't look Carthaki." Alanna, the stout red head with purple eyes, commented.  
  
"I was told I got knocked out when I was little, six. I got amnesia. I've been living at the palace as a slave ever since. I don't know anything about my family, or where I come from." Rehani explained quietly. 


	5. Chapter Four:Anger and Meditation

Chapter Four (Untitled)  
  
"That doesn't prove why you don't look like a Carthaki." Alanna stated, gazing at Rehani. Rehani looked at the ground. The purple stare was menacing.  
  
"Who's your mother, Rehani? Does she live here?" Numair asked.  
  
"I told you, I don't know anything about my family!" Rehani replied angrily. Why were they asking her all these questions? Daine, sensing Rehani was about to bolt, placed a firm hand on Rehani's shoulder.  
  
"Numair, Alanna, please. She's already overwhelmed. Don't make it worse." Daine told her friends. Rehani shrugged off the hand and bent over her plate.  
  
"Sorry, Rehani. I thought most of the slaves here were Carthaki. Carthak hasn't been known to buy slaves from pirates. They think foreign slaves are rebellious and have the wrong ideas." Alanna murmured, picking up a roll and dunking it in her soup.  
  
"There's a spell, to say who a child's parents are. I could do it." Numair started to say. Varice Kingsford, who had joined them frowned.  
  
"But Numair. That's very advanced magic. You'd be in bed for weeks. That isn't necessary. She's just a freed slave. Nobody cares about who her parents are." Varice cooed.  
  
"I care who her parents are." Numair retorted quietly. Varice frowned again. She looked at Rehani. Her eyes were pierced with anger. She was pretty, but not like this.  
  
"Is the spell complicated?" Daine asked Numair. She didn't trust Varice at all. Varice had once been Numair's lover but now Daine was his wife.  
  
"No, it's not complicated at all. It'll just take a second." Numair replied, glaring at Varice.  
  
"As I said before, that isn't necessary. I would rather you didn't right now. I wanted your opinion on some spells I made. They're for selling. One can take out the lumps in sauce." Varice babbled on and on about spells and powders she had created. Daine scowled. Keladry hid a small yawn, while Neal made his yawn huge and dramatic. Varice glared at him.  
  
"Stop that, Sir Nealan." Varice snapped. She turned back to Numair, who was trying hard to keep from yawning.  
  
"Varice, I think those spells and powders are wonderful. You must show me them sometime. Meanwhile, I would like to find out who my student's parents are." Numair told Varice quietly. He started to head toward Rehani.  
  
"No!" Varice shouted. All heads turned to stare. "I mean, no. Numair, I'm selling my spells and powders at the market tomorrow. I'd like you to see them. I need your opinion on prices. Please, come with me. They're in my rooms." A sigh escaped from Numair's lips as he followed Varice down the halls.  
  
"She was trying to keep Numair from doing the spells. It was quite obvious." Sir Gareth told the group.  
  
"What is up with her? Why does she care who Rehani's parents are?" Daine agreed. The Tortallans shrugged.  
  
"Rehani? Is there something you're hiding?" Alanna asked. Her piercing gaze was on Rehani again. Rehani shrank back.  
  
"No! I don't know who my parents are! I don't care! I don't want to know! Leave me alone!" Rehani yelled and burst into tears. She ran to Daine's room and crunched herself up on her pallet, sobbing uncontrollably. Why did they care who her parents were? Rehani felt a cool hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Rehani," Daine started to say.  
  
"Go away. Leave me alone." Rehani sobbed.  
  
"Rehani, I wish you'd trust me."  
  
"Why should I? I just met you yesterday!"  
  
"You have a point. Alanna didn't mean any harm, Rehani. Neither did Numair. We won't ask you about your parents again. I didn't know my parents for a while either. It was a shock to me when I found out my father was a god."  
  
"Why does he care who my parents are?"  
  
"Well, I have wild magic. I think this is because my father is the God of the Hunt. If you knew who your parents were, it might have given a reason for you to have wild magic. And we could see if you had any brothers or sisters with wild magic." Daine told Rehani. Rehani pretended to ignore her.  
  
"I don't have any brothers or sisters. Just leave me alone."  
  
"Very well, Rehani. I have to go rescue Numair from Varice. I'll see you later tonight." Daine got up and left. Twenty minutes later Rehani felt a tickling on the back of her neck. She screamed and whirled around. What she saw made her scream again! It was a dragon!  
  
"Help! Help! It's a dragon!" Rehani screamed, backing away from the dragon. It was little, but it was still a dragon. Rehani cowered in the corner as the dragon turned from a pale blue color to dark gray. The dragon retreated.  
  
"What is it Rehani?" Daine burst into the room.  
  
"There's a dragon!" Rehani cried, pointing to the dragon, who looked like she was sulking.  
  
"Oh, you haven't met Kitten. This is Skysong, but we call her Kitten, or Kit. Her mother died and left her in my care." Daine grinned, obviously amused.  
  
"It's not funny! She scared the wits out of me!" Rehani snapped, glaring at Daine.  
  
"Touchy, touchy." Daine muttered. She was silenced with another glare. "Tomorrow we start lessons. I'll see you tomorrow." Rehani turned away and fell asleep. She woke to rays of sunlight shining through the window. Rehani sat up with a gasp! Why hadn't Dria woken her? She was going to get killed! How could she have slept in? Rehani looked around, suddenly remembering. She pulled on new clothes and warily went to the place they had eaten the night before, which was in the center of all the Tortallan rooms. The table was piled high with breakfast foods. Nobody was there, so Rehani sat down and grabbed a plate. This food was better than anything she had gotten in the slave's mess hall! She was so busy eating she didn't notice when the seats on either side of her were filled.  
  
"Good morning, Rehani." Daine chirped, grabbing a plate.  
  
"Nice morning, isn't it?" Alanna asked, wolfing down a muffin.  
  
"Hello." Rehani muttered, still annoyed with Alanna for asking about her parents.  
  
"Rehani, we need to start lessons right after breakfast. First thing is meditating." Daine added.  
  
"What's that?" Rehani asked, letting her curiosity get the better of her.  
  
"You clear your mind and it helps you get a better hold of your magic, so it doesn't get away with you." Numair announced as he entered the room, hearing Rehani's question.  
  
"Morning, Numair!" Daine and Alanna chorused.  
  
"Good morning Daine, Alanna, Rehani." Numair grinned widely and sat down.  
  
"Well, I'm done eating. Rehani, if you're finished we can start meditation." Daine stood up. Reluctantly Rehani followed her back into their rooms.  
  
"How do we do it?" Rehani asked bluntly.  
  
"Sit down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Try to clear your mind of all thoughts." Daine replied, sitting on the floor with Kitten curled up in her lap. Rehani settled across from her and closed her eyes. She wanted this to work, but it wasn't happening! This was boring! She wanted to get to turning into animals. She opened her eyes.  
  
"This is boring! I don't want meditate! I want to shape shift." Rehani cried, scowling.  
  
"You can't do anything until you learn to meditate, Rehani. Try it again." Daine replied without opening her eyes. Rehani closed her eyes again and furrowed her brow, trying to clear her mind of thoughts. But more thoughts just kept popping into her head! After more than an hour of trying, Daine stopped Rehani. "We can try again later. Come on, give me a tour of the palace. You must know your way around." Grudgingly Rehani led her around the palace until lunch.  
  
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Rora Kuusou - Kaddar only freed some of the slaves - the Banjiku and the mutes. I don't know about the menagerie think, I think they were redoing it, but let's just say it isn't finished yet. 


	6. Chapter Five: A Deal

Chapter Five: A Deal  
  
"Rehani, I have to go to the talks. You could come, but it would be fair boring." Daine told Rehani after lunch. Rehani shrugged.  
  
"I'll stay here. As long as you keep that.that.that thing with you." Rehani replied, pointing at Kitten, who whistled angrily.  
  
"Kitten will come with me. She finds the talk interesting. Oh, I was wondering. Do you know how to read?" Daine asked. Rehani nodded.  
  
"When I came here I knew how." Rehani murmured to Daine's surprise.  
  
"Wonderful. Well, I have some books in my trunk. Go ahead and read them. I'll see you later tonight. Would you rather eat dinner here, or with me at the banquet?" Daine asked as she combed her hair.  
  
"It doesn't matter."  
  
"You'll come to the banquet. I'll have to get you some proper clothes for it, then. See you later, Rehani. Don't get into any trouble." Daine left the room and shut the door behind her. Rehani sighed and dug in Daine's trunk for a book. She found one on wolves and eagerly opened it. She lay on her pallet and began to enthusiastically read the book. Soon she had fallen asleep. Somebody awoke her with a sharp pinch. Surprised, Rehani looked up into Varice Kingsford's furious face.  
  
"What?" Rehani asked sleepily, sitting up and shutting her book.  
  
"I'd like to make you a little deal." Varice announced.  
  
"A deal?" Rehani asked warily.  
  
"Yes, a deal. You split up Numair and Daine for me."  
  
"What do I get out of it? Why do you want me to split them up? They seem happy."  
  
"Don't talk like that to me." Varice slapped Rehani.  
  
"Don't you dare hit me!" Rehani cried.  
  
"What do you get? You get life as a noble girl. You get proper schooling and a proper husband and lots of food and clothes. For your information, Numair is my man, not Daine's."  
  
"Really? They seem to be married. How can you be Numair's?" Rehani retorted.  
  
"He only went for that little wench because he couldn't have me! Do it, and you'll have a wonderful life. Just think about it. Beautiful silk gowns, slaves of your own to boss around, a wealthy husband, lots of good food." Varice's voice trailed off as Rehani shook her head. "Why not?" Varice hissed.  
  
"I don't want to. They're happy together. You'd better leave. They should be coming back from the talks soon."  
  
"Oh yeah? Want to bet?" Varice asked, laughing cruelly and leaving the room with a sweep of her skirts. Rehani went to the doorway. Everybody but Daine and Numair were returning. Cautiously, Rehani approached Lady Knight Keladry.  
  
"Yes?" Keladry asked kindly, looking down. Keladry was tall, while Rehani was short and slim.  
  
"Do you know where Daine and Numair are?" Rehani asked. Keladry frowned and bit her lip.  
  
"They didn't show up for the talks. Do you know if something happened to them?" Keladry answered worriedly. Then Alanna rushed up.  
  
"Rehani, have you seen Daine or Numair?" she asked.  
  
"No. I was just asking Lady Keladry." Rehani replied.  
  
"Oh no." Alanna hurried back to her rooms. She came back out holding a mirror. Roses were painted on the back.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Keladry asked Alanna as she began to look into the mirror.  
  
"Scry for them." Alanna replied. Keladry and Rehani silently watched. Alanna threw down the mirror and cursed bitterly. Alanna stalked off to her rooms. Rehani bent down to pick up the mirror. A picture showed.  
  
"What in the name of Mithros is that?" Keladry whispered. There was a shadow figure surrounded by black. It had a low voice with an eerie ring to it.  
  
"Ask the People. Ask the People where your friends are, Rehani. Ask the People."  
  
"The people? But nobody Tortallan knows!" Rehani answered.  
  
"Not those people! The People!" Rehani looked blankly into the mirror. "You call them animals. You are one of them. Call them with your mind, my friend. Ask the cats and mice if they have seen the black haired stork man." Keladry burst into a fit of giggles.  
  
"Stork man?" she asked, fleeing to her rooms.  
  
"Ask if they have seen the stork man or the one who is People." The figure insisted before the mirror turned blank again. Rehani frowned and sat down on her pallet again. She closed her eyes and hesitantly began to think.  
  
{Um, mice? Cats? Can somebody help me?}  
  
{Did you just speak? I thought only Daine could speak.} a cat slunk into the room.  
  
{Yes, I spoke. Have you seen Daine? Or her friend, Numair, the stork  
man?}  
  
{I know where they are, but you need keys to get to them.}  
  
{Who has the keys?}  
  
{That evil smelling woman. She always wears dresses and lots of colors on her face and she smells dreadful. She spoke to you earlier, very viciously in fact.}  
  
{Varice Kingsford? She has the keys? I know where her rooms are. I'll search them tonight, during the banquet.}  
  
{I will come to.} the cat insisted. {I will come when she leaves for the kitchens to bake the cake.}  
  
{If you're sure, then.}  
  
{I'm sure.} the cat darted off, leaving Rehani shocked and speechless. Somebody cleared their throat in the doorway. It was Alanna.  
  
"Keladry said you saw somebody in the mirror, and they told you to ask the animals. Did you?" Alanna demanded, coming into the room. Rehani nodded, standing up.  
  
"They know where they are, but they can't get to her without the keys. Varice has them. I'm going with the cat to get them during the banquet." Rehani said. Alanna's eyes widened. She put a finger over her lip and shut the door. Balls of purple fire rocketed around the room.  
  
"Don't say it aloud. They have listening spells everywhere. You're going to find the keys tonight?"  
  
"Yes. Then the cat can lead me to where they're being kept and I can set them free."  
  
"Just be careful. Varice is very tricky. She hates Daine for marrying Numair. She was once Numair's lover. I think she still loves him." Alanna pulled the purple balls of fire back into her hands and left the room. When the others left for the banquet, the cat came for Rehani. They snuck into Varice's rooms. Rehani searched the rooms. With a cry of triumph, she grabbed the keys.  
  
"So I came back to get changed and I find you instead. Come with me." a voice hissed from behind Rehani. Rehani whirled around and found herself staring into the face of Varice. Varice had an ugly smirk that ruined her pretty face. She dragged Rehani down halls and opened the door to a room with her magic. Rehani found herself thrown inside. Then the door shut. Rehani looked around the room. A majestic hawk was in the corner, a raven perched on the pallet. The hawk transformed into a very naked Numair. Numair yanked on his robe as Daine transformed from the raven and quickly pulled on clothes.  
  
"Wonderful. You were our last hope, and now you're caught too. What were you doing?" Numair asked dryly as Rehani grumpily sat down next to Daine.  
  
"Rescuing you. A cat told me she could lead me to where you were kept. I had just found the keys in Varice's rooms and then she caught me."  
  
"Varice did this?" Numair asked.  
  
"She wants to split you and Daine up. She still thinks of you as 'her' man. She hates Daine for marrying you." Rehani replied quietly. Daine scowled.  
  
"Great. Who'll save us now?" she muttered.  
  
"I will." The voice was firm and knowledgeable. Rehani turned and her mouth dropped open in shock. 


	7. Chapter Six: Help

Chapter Six: Help  
  
"I will." The voice said again. Rehani looked around. Nobody was there.  
  
"I will." The voice repeated over and over.  
  
"You said that already! Who are you?" Rehani finally yelled.  
  
"Calm down, Rehani." The voice sounded amused. "To get out you must all take the link of a family. Numair. Find out Rehani's parents. Find out who she really is. Then link together and think." The voice ordered.  
  
"All right. But who are you?" Numair asked, walking around the room, looking for the voice.  
  
"That's for me to know and you to find out." The voice cackled.  
  
"Oh, come on!" Rehani cried. But the voice has disappeared.  
  
"The link of a family? How?" Daine muttered to herself. "Numair, quickly. Do the spell so we can get out soon."  
  
"Come here, Rehani." He instructed. As he was about to speak, his mouth dropped open.  
  
"What is it Numair?" Daine asked hesitantly.  
  
"It's her, Daine. It's her." Numair whispered. "I just have to make sure."  
  
"Who?" Rehani asked, baffled.  
  
"Oh, Numair. We can't keep our hopes." Daine murmured.  
  
"Who?" Rehani asked, getting mad now.  
  
"We had a daughter." Numair began haltingly. "She looked a lot like you. She had her black hair from me, her gray eyes from Daine. We were teaching her meditation, and we were having a lot of trouble. Anyway, when she was six, she disappeared. We looked and looked for her. We never found her. The way things are, I think you're Rehani Salmalin."  
  
"But I've lived in Carthak all my life!" Rehani protested.  
  
"Do you know your parents? Do you know why you look Tortallan? It's an explanation. Come let me do the spell to make sure." Numair replied. He placed his hand on Rehani's head and spoke a spell in Old Thak. There was a loud bang and Numair and Rehani flew against the wall. There was golden writing in the place where Rehani had stood. It said, Rehani, daughter of Numair Salmalin.  
  
"Mithros!" Rehani exclaimed, standing up and rubbing her back. "That hurt!" But they were ignoring her. They were staring at the golden script. Daine burst into sobs.  
  
"Daine? Daine, sweetling. We found her. Why are you crying?" Numair asked quietly.  
  
"I'm just so happy!" Daine blubbered. Numair turned to Rehani.  
  
"I can't believe we finally found you, Rehani. We had given up hope." Numair told her. He raced to her and smashed her back against the wall as he hugged her.  
  
"Ow! Ow ow ow ow ow!" Rehani shouted. Looking guilty, Numair stepped back, grinning sheepishly.  
  
"Alanna can fix you up when we get out. The voice said to link together as a family and think." Numair told Rehani and Daine.  
  
"Link? Like how hold hands in a circle. Think about what?" Daine asked, bewildered.  
  
"Sure. Come on, let's hold hands and think about getting out. Just say over and over in your heads, I will get out. Or I want to get it. Which one?" Numair replied.  
  
"I want to get it. Then that voice can help us. If we say I will, then it sort of means we have a way to get out." Rehani answered before Daine. Daine nodded. The stood in a circle in the middle of the room, clasping each other's hand. They thought, I want to get out, in the middle of that windowless, white washed room. There eyes closed tight, they stood straight and tall. Then there was a huge BANG! The room spun and spun around and kept spinning and spinning and spinning. Then there was another loud BANG! And a big CRASH! And they stopped spinning.  
  
"Are we out?" Daine asked dazedly.  
  
"We did it! We're in Daine's room!" Numair shouted.  
  
"We made it! We did it! We made it!" Rehani screamed, dancing around. Alanna appeared in the doorway. She raced straight for Daine and Numair. They did a three way hug.  
  
"Where were you? What happened? I was afraid you were killed or kidnapped or something terrible!" Alanna cried.  
  
"It was Varice Kingsford." Rehani answered. "She put them into a little room without windows or doors. An animal told me it was Varice, so I went to her rooms to get the keys while she was at the banquet getting the food ready. But she caught me and put me in the same room as them. This voice came, and it said to link together as a family and think. But we didn't get it at first, then Numair realized that I must be his daughter or something. So he did the spell that says the father. There was a big BANG and we flew against the wall but there was golden script in the place where I had been. It said, 'Numair Salmalin,' so we held hands and thought, 'I want to get out.'"  
  
"Then we spun around and around and around and we ended here!" Daine finished.  
  
"You found your daughter? Oh Daine, Numair. You'd just given up hope." Rehani was surprised to see tears in Alanna's violet eyes. Rehani began to laugh. She whirled around the room, laughing. Alanna, Daine, and Numair joined in. The other members of the Tortallan delegation appeared at the door staring and mouthing "crazy" to each other.  
  
"What's going on?" Sir Gareth demanded.  
  
"Rehani is my daughter!" Numair roared.  
  
"We found her!" Daine screamed.  
  
"I found my parents!" Rehani shrieked. 


	8. Chapter Seven: Varice Kingsford

Chapter Seven: Varice Kingsford  
  
"What? Say that again." Sir Gareth asked. He hadn't been able to understand any them. Rehani stopped whirling around. What had gotten into her? She had never acted like this before!  
  
"We found our daughter, finally." Numair announced.  
  
"Who?" Sir Gareth asked blankly. Alanna rolled her eyes.  
  
"Who do you think?" Alanna asked, rolling her eyes again.  
  
"I don't know!" Sir Gareth cried.  
  
"Rehani, you dolt!" Numair exclaimed.  
  
"That is your daughter's name. Of course you found Rehani." Sir Gareth still didn't get it.  
  
"Gary, you can be such an idiot sometimes! Rehani - this Rehani right here, the freed slave - is Daine and Numair's long lost daughter!" Alanna told him, exasperated.  
  
"Really?" Sir Gareth asked.  
  
"Yes, really. Do you want me to do the spell again?" Numair asked calmly.  
  
"No! We have to get Varice!" Rehani yelled.  
  
"Varice? What has she got to do with anything?" Sir Nealan asked in his usual drawl.  
  
"She kidnapped us!" Daine shouted.  
  
"Well you didn't tell us that." Sir Nealan answered coolly.  
  
"Where is she?" Alanna asked quickly. "When I get my hands on that woman."  
  
"What time is it? Nine. Good. She usually comes to tease us then. We have to get going! Rehani, you know this palace like the back of your hand! Lead the way!" Numair cried. The group tore down the hall.  
  
"Wait! The emperor! What will he say?" somebody from the back of the group shouted.  
  
"We'll have to go to him first. Let's go. Hurry up. Lead on, Rehani!" Numair replied.  
  
"I thought you didn't know it was Varice!" Rehani told Numair as they raced down the hall.  
  
"I just realized that I recognized the voice. Hurry! Faster!" Numair sped ahead on his long legs.  
  
"No fair! You have long legs!" Rehani protested, but she easily caught up. She was a fast runner. They reached the emperor's chambers. Daine pounded on the door. Numair pushed her back.  
  
"That's no way to act, sweetling." He murmured as a guard opened the door. Kaddar was right behind him.  
  
"Daine? Numair? Rehani? Sir Gareth? Is that Sir Nealan? What are you all doing here?" Kaddar asked.  
  
"We have to catch Varice! She kidnapped me, Daine, and our daughter!" Numair cried.  
  
"Your daughter? Your daughter didn't come along. You don't even have a daughter!" Kaddar replied.  
  
"Yes we do. She was kidnapped when she was six. Rehani is our daughter. But never mind that. We were kidnapped by Varice!" Numair told him.  
  
"We have to get her. She'll have to go to jail for kidnapping." Kaddar turned to his guard. "Orem, have the guards look for Varice Kingsford. Shackle her and bring her to the dungeons. I charge her with kidnapping." The guard hurried off. "I'm very sorry about this Daine, Numair. Rehani. Everybody. If you don't want Kalasin to marry me, that's all right. The talks were going well, but with all that's happened."  
  
"You didn't have anything to do with it. We'll see you at the talks tomorrow, Your Imperial Majesty." Numair replied soothingly. The group bowed and left.  
  
As the group returned to their rooms, a woman hurried to the main gates. The woman was pretty and wore face paint and lip rouge. She wore a torn and dirty ball gown. She demanded that the gates were open. When they swung open, the woman raced through. She raced away into the darkness.  
  
A/N Sorry this chapter is so short. 


	9. Chapter Eight: Gone

Chapter Eight: Gone  
  
"Rehani, wake up. It's time for the talks. Would you like to come?" Daine shook her daughter's shoulder.  
  
"All right. Ma." Rehani muttered sleepily. Daine smiled. Rehani pulled on breeches, a shirt, and a tunic, and followed Daine to the room where the talks were being held. Emperor Kaddar sat at the head of the table. The seating was in order of importance. Numair, Daine, and Rehani were in the middle.  
  
"Welcome, Tortallan guests. I have some news that I regret to inform you." Kaddar announced gravely. Rehani bit her lip. What could be wrong? "I regret to inform you that the search for Varice Kingsford has been called off. She has not been found. Guards inquired at the gate and were told that at about the time you told me of the kidnappings, a lady in a muddy ball gown demanded that they open the gates for her. They opened the gates and she raced off. They did not say she is Varice, but." Kaddar's voice trailed off.  
  
"She got away! I can't believe it!" Numair exclaimed.  
  
"We'll find her. Anybody found helping her will also be punished. We will find her, Master Salmalin. Now let's get back to the talks. Will my head scribe please remind us of what happened next?" Kaddar replied smoothly. Rehani listened to the talks with interest. She didn't know Princess Kalasin, the twenty-four-year-old daughter of King Jonathon IV and Queen Thayet, but she found it interesting to find out how royal marriages were decided.  
  
"So it is decided. We will send a message to King Jonathon, Queen Thayet, and Princess Kalasin. Princess Kalasin will marry Emperor Kaddar and rule by Emperor Kaddar's side as the Empress. Princess Kalasin will travel to Carthak with three ladies-in-waiting in one and a half years. She will be given a tour of Carthak and will be allowed to invite guests to her marriage, which will take place after the tour of her lands." The head scribe announced at the end of the talks. Everybody in the room nodded.  
  
"We will prepare to leave for Tortall tomorrow." Alanna announced as they bowed to Emperor Kaddar and left the room.  
  
"I don't know what Kalasin will think of this. Kaddar is a nice person. I don't think she wanted an arranged marriage, even though she knew it would eventually happen." Daine fretted.  
  
"Thayet reminded her of her duties as a princess. Princesses marry to make peace with other countries." Numair reminded Daine.  
  
"We have peace with Carthak, though. Why not marry somebody useful, like a Copper Islander or a Scanran." Daine told him as they headed to their rooms.  
  
"No Tortallan will marry a dirty Scanran. If we marry Kalasin or Lianne off to a Copper Islander, it would brake their peace with Scanra. They're allied with Scanra. If they get into war, they'll need help. If one of them marries a Tortallan, Scanra won't help them." Numair told her. Daine scowled.  
  
"I hate it when I'm wrong." Daine muttered, audible only to Rehani grinned. "I plan to spend the rest of the day getting to know my daughter. And teaching her meditation."  
  
"Wait, what about Princess Lianne? I thought she might marry a lesser prince." Numair commented.  
  
"You can be so scatter brained, Numair. Kaddar, Jon, and Thayet agreed that Princess Lianne should marry to another country instead, because it will make peace with a country we are at war with. It will be more useful, and gain us and Carthak both an ally." Daine rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh, right. But there isn't anybody for her. We already have peace with the Yamani Islands, Tusaine, and here." Numair replied.  
  
"What about Tyra, Galla, Maren, and Sarain. But Sarain is in ruins. Jon wouldn't marry Lianne to somebody in Sarain." Daine retorted.  
  
"We have peace with Galla, magelet. But they won't ally us in war."  
  
"It's not like Carthak does either."  
  
"Kalasin's marriage will ensure help during wars. I wish it could have happened years ago, during the recent war against Scanra, but that's life."  
  
"Numair, do you have any ideas for meditation. Is there any other way?"  
  
"Now that I remember it, yes. It's very different, and I don't know if Rehani would like it."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Work with the staff." Numair answered. Rehani shook her head.  
  
"I don't like hitting things." Rehani whispered.  
  
"You're going to have to learn sometime, Rehani. You have to defend yourself. We can teach you the bow and staff. Baron George of Pirate's Swoop will teach you hand to hand combat and knife fighting." Numair told her. Rehani sighed.  
  
"I guess I don't like hitting things because I've never been allowed a weapon." Rehani shrugged.  
  
"You worked a little with the staff when you were six. Fine, that's out of the picture. You can try normal meditation again tomorrow.  
  
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Varice Kingsford raced through the gates of the palace to her waiting barge. She had known this might happen. She had known Rehani would find out who her parents were in that room. Varice was ready to kill herself for putting them all in the same room, but no, she had to be kind and let them be happy. Now look what she had done.  
  
"Shove off. Now. Hurry." Varice snapped as she leapt nimbly - too nimbly for a lady - onto the boat. Her lover at the time, Henry Sugarman, was down below scolding the slaves' overseer on how he treated the slaves.  
  
"You treat them too kindly! If they take their eye off their oar for one split second, lash out. Teach them to obey! They can't shirk their duties. They are to keep their eyes on their oar at all times. You have a whip. Use it!" Henry was thundering. Varice hurried down.  
  
"Henry, darling, you said you'd have clothes for me." Varice cooed.  
  
"Ah, Varice. Your room is waiting. Please, follow me. Once you change, meet me in the dining cabin for a late supper. You barely eat at your banquets." Henry replied, kissing her. He showed Varice her room before heading to the dining cabin. Varice slipped into the cabin and opened the wardrobe. She chose a simple rose pink dress and pulled it on. One slave did her hair while the other began to mend her torn dress. Varice hurried to the dining cabin.  
  
"Henry, what do we do now? Where do we go?" Varice asked as she sat down beside him.  
  
"I thought you knew, Varice. That's why I agreed to have this barge ready." Henry frowned deeply.  
  
"No, your part of the plan was to make the plan!" Varice shrieked, infuriated. "I went to that room to find them all gone! They were running up, the whole Tortallan party. Then they turned and ran to the emperor! I had to leave! I ran out the gates and onto this barge, ready to go forth with your plan!"  
  
"Varice! Darling! Please, Varice! I misunderstood. A misunderstanding. We can go see my parents in their village. We'll be fine." Henry soothed. But Varice would have none of it. She stormed out of the cabin. "Varice! Varice!" Henry ran after her. Varice clumsily stood on the edge of the boat. Just as Henry was about to yank her back, Varice Kingsford stepped off the ship. Into the calm water of the river. Henry leapt after her and the ship sailed over the two lovers. Henry found himself too battered to care if he lived or not. He sank like a rock down to the bottom of the river. But what about Varice? He thought worriedly, as he let himself sink. Where was she? Then he spotted the beautiful woman. She was clinging to a rock. Then an wave - how could there be a wave on this river? - came and slammed down on the rock. Henry began to swim up. When he surfaced, he looked at the rock. Varice was gone. All that was left of her was a square of her pink dress. Sobbing helplessly, Henry swam to the bottom and opened his mouth wide. Water filled his lungs until he was about to burst. Then one last swallow - and he did burst. To sink like a rock to the bottom of the river, never to see daylight again. Never to kiss the soft lips of Varice Kingsford again.  
  
Should this be the end or should I keep going? 


	10. Chapter Nine: Dead

Chapter Nine: Dead  
  
"Did you catch her?" was the first thing Daine asked Emperor Kaddar, who had come to the table where the Tortallan delegates usually ate.  
  
"We didn't catch her, exactly. She took care of herself." Kaddar replied. Daine and Numair looked at each other, confused.  
  
"What do you mean?" Numair asked in a puzzled tone. It was rare that Numair was puzzled by something.  
  
"She and her lover were found in the river. They killed themselves, it seems. I'm assuming Varice killed herself, and her lover went after her to try and save her. When Varice died, her lover just killed himself as well." Kaddar replied. Rehani's eyes widened. Varice wasn't the suicide type.  
  
"Interesting." Was all Daine had to say.  
  
"I came to say good bye. I have to deal with Varice and her lover." Kaddar announced. The Tortallans bowed and said their good byes, which were returned. Kaddar stood, bowed to them all, and left. The Tortallans ate breakfast and packed for the rest of the morning.  
  
"Ready to go, Rehani?" Daine asked Rehani. Rehani was looking a little sad to be leaving Carthak. After all, it had been the only home she had.  
  
"Does King Jonathon know you found me?" Rehani asked.  
  
"We're going to surprise him." Daine replied slyly. "So, are you ready? We should be getting on the ship."  
  
"Let's go." Rehani picked up her bag and followed Daine and Numair to the ship.  
  
"We should work on meditation." Numair commented.  
  
"Do I have to?" Rehani moaned.  
  
"Yes!" was Numair's firm reply. Rehani sighed and set her stuff down in her cabin and went to Numair's cabin for meditation. They sat, feeling the gentle rocking of the waves. Rehani relaxed and breathed in, breathed out. Breathe in, breathe out. Numair smiled as he watched her. The copper glow and the foggy Feeling magic was collecting, packing in closer to her body as the Rehani meditated. Rehani opened her eyes and beamed.  
  
"I did it!" she exclaimed happily.  
  
"Yes, you did. That's the only thing we can do for the journey. Unless Daine can get a rat to help us, we won't be able to do anything." Numair smiled at her.  
  
"I won't be able to. Rats think we are a nuisance." Daine replied wryly. Then suddenly, a badger appeared. Rehani gasped.  
  
"Who are you?" Rehani breathed.  
  
"The male Badger God. You are Rehani, daughter of Daine. I've been watching over you, kit. You've done well in Carthak. You will thrive and prosper in Tortall. I must watch over you as I did Daine. The only way to find you is.this." The Badger announced. He chewed one of his claws off. Rehani backed up in surprise. The Badger gave Rehani the claw, who wiped it off with her tunic. "Daine. You must teach her well. If she is not taught, bad things will help. Numair, you must help her control her Feeling magic. Or she will be overwhelmed. Too overwhelmed. If she gets too overwhelmed, she could die. Make a barrier between herself and her Feeling. And her wild magic, so she does not think she is truly an animal and run like one. This is only a quick visit. I must get back." With a pop the Badger left.  
  
"What is this claw?" Rehani asked confusedly. Daine came up to her with a strip of leather, which she tied tightly around the claw. Then she placed it over Rehani's neck.  
  
"That is so he can track you, and make sure you are safe. Wear it at all times. It will stay with you through everything, even through shape changes." Daine explained calmly. Just then Kitten walked in. "You just missed The Badger." Daine informed her. Kitten whistled unhappily.  
  
When the voyage was finally over, Rehani was glad to be almost back on land. Tortallan soil especially. She couldn't wait to go "home." Or what her home had been and would be. She dressed in beige leggings, polished black boots, a long sleeved white silk shirt, and a navy blue tunic. Her unruly black hair was tamed by Daine and she was ready to set foot in Tortall. She hurried onto the deck. Keladry of Mindelan and Nealan of Queenscove were there. So was Alanna, looking pale and thin. She had lost a lot of weight on the voyage. She always got seasick, Rehani had been informed.  
  
"Glad to be almost home?" Rehani asked Alanna, startling her. Alanna yelped.  
  
"Don't scare me like that!" Alanna scolded. "Definitely. I can't wait to get off this god forsaken ship. Only five more minutes and we'll be home." Alanna smiled blissfully. Daine and Numair came onto the deck, hand in hand. Slowly the other members of the delegation appeared. Kitten bounced around the deck excitedly, whistling and chirping. Five minutes later they had docked. Rehani looked over Tortall. It was different from Carthak. The breeze was cooler and there weren't monkeys and alligators and rain forests. Rehani stepped off the ship onto the dock. She smiled happily. It was good to be back. Numair appeared beside her.  
  
"Hello, my sweet. Do you recognize anything?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Not really. I was only six. I can't wait to get to the palace!" Rehani exclaimed. She had dreamed of the Tortallan palace when she was in Carthak. It was said to be a wonder.  
  
"Just a day's ride."  
  
"Ride? I don't know how to ride!" Rehani cried.  
  
"Don't worry, my dear. You'll be a natural. And you can tell your horse to go easy on you. Remember, think your words and send them to him through your mind." Numair told her, walking up to three horses. Rather two horses and a pony.  
  
"Cloud!" Daine exclaimed, hugging the pony.  
  
{Should I ride you, Cloud, or should Rehani?} Daine asked in mind speak.  
  
{Who is Rehani?} Cloud demanded.  
  
{My daughter. You remember her. Or would she do better on one of the horses?} Then Daine answered her own question. {One of the other horses. You're too grumpy and stubborn.}  
  
{I'll be nice. I won't be grumpy or stubborn. You're getting too big for me. Tell the girl I will be nice.}  
  
{Tell her yourself. She has wild magic.} Daine turned and mounted the lean chestnut. Numair was already on his spotted gelding, Spot. Rehani nervously approached Cloud.  
  
{Don't worry, girl child. I'll be nice.} Cloud told Rehani.  
  
{Thank you.} Rehani said in mind speech. She uneasily swung into the saddle and urged her forward. Riding horses wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. Rehani managed to ride without falling off for the whole day. Then they reached Corus.  
  
"Oh, it's wondrous!" Rehani breathed. They rode up the path to the palace and were instantly let in. Hostlers took the horses and servants took packs. Many of the delegates went to the baths. Numair and Daine had said that they would report to the King.  
  
"Come on, Rehani. You can meet the King." Numair told her. Rehani followed them through a maze of halls. They came to a stop in front of his study and knocked.  
  
"Numair! Daine! Welcome back!" He hugged them. Then he noticed Rehani. "Who's this child?"  
  
"Don't you remember Rehani, Jon? It's our daughter! She was a slave in the Carthak palace!" Daine exclaimed.  
  
"Well met, young lady." Jonathon told Rehani. Rehani bowed respectfully. "Oh, don't call me your majesty or any of that nonsense. I'm your godfather. You may call me Jon, or Jonathon." Jon turned to Daine and Numair. "How did it go?"  
  
"Kalasin is now betrothed to Emperor Kaddar. A good match, I believe. And Carthak will help us with the coming war." Numair smiled triumphantly.  
  
"Wonderful. Thayet! Come see who Numair and Daine brought!" Jon called. Queen Thayet, known as the Peerless, appeared.  
  
"Who is it?" Thayet asked.  
  
"Rehani! Daine and Numair found their daughter. She was a slave in the Carthak palace!" Jon exclaimed.  
  
"Welcome back, Rehani. And call me Thayet. I'm your godmother. It's only right." Thayet smiled warmly at Rehani.  
  
"Hullo." Rehani said dully. She was almost speechless in front of his beautiful woman. 


	11. Chapter Eleven: Meetings and Remembering...

Chapter Ten: Meetings and Rememberings  
  
"Is that all you have to say?" Thayet teased.  
  
"Sorry." Rehani muttered. She eyed the Queen out of the corner of her eye. She was beautiful, as beautiful as Rehani had imagined. But she hadn't imagined Queen Thayet. She thought she had because she always had a picture of her in her head.  
  
"I was just teasing, youngling. It's good to see you back here." Thayet laughed. Her laugh was musical. Rehani was awed by it. Suddenly something leaped onto her shoulder. Rehani gasped. There was a skeleton, a living skeleton on her shoulder!  
  
"Bonedancer, mind your manners." A man strode up, taking the skeleton off Rehani's shoulder. "I'm sorry about Bonedancer. When he was alive, manners didn't exist." The man smiled at her. "I'm Lindhall Reed. Do I know you?" Rehani shook her head.  
  
"You might have when I was little. I'm Rehani Salmalin, Numair and Daine's daughter." Rehani answered uncertainly.  
  
"Congratulations on finding her, Numair!" Lindhall turned and hugged Numair. They were obviously old friends. "How did the talks go?" he asked Numair. Then he added wistfully, "I wish I could have gone."  
  
"Wonderfully. Princess Kalasin will be the Empress of Carthak. And we'll get help in the coming war." Numair replied.  
  
"Wonderful." Lindhall nodded. "I apologize for Bonedancer, Rehani. I'll see you around." With another nod, Lindhall turned and walked away with Bonedancer on his shoulder.  
  
Rehani sighed happily. It was good to be home.  
  
THE END!!!!!  
  
I think these last two chapters were really bad.I had major writer's block. Okay, it's done. Yay. I'm so glad I finished this very very very short chapter. 


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